I’ve tried, and failed, to get pieces off the ground this year that tackle the “doppelganger” trend trickling along through films like The Hole in the Ground and Us. I had the opportunity to succeed with the release of Asako I & II, except that I think I bit off more than I could chew; I still don’t have a clear enough read on “what it all means” to find a starting place for research. Are we scared of ourselves? Are we reacting to social media creating bifurcated double lives for ourselves? What the hell is it?
Without a crystalline thesis, I just straight-up reviewed Asako I & II, which is a pretty great movie on its own without having to be couched in a sub-trend of 2019 cinema. I’m happy I did! Asako I & II is unlike anything I’ve seen this year, defiantly anti-label, thoroughly warm, pleasant, and achingly sad.
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